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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23527762">On Your Side ; ateez hybrid au</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoon_han_byeol/pseuds/yoon_han_byeol'>yoon_han_byeol</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ATEEZ (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:09:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23527762</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoon_han_byeol/pseuds/yoon_han_byeol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>hybrid au</p><p> </p><p>(don’t worry about the reader’s age. the first chapter is something from the “past”. in the rest of the story she’ll be older)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Park Seonghwa / OC, Park Seonghwa/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You were basically a kid. A 15 years old girl, leaving in the servant section of the huge villa owned by one of the most powerful men of the country. You were a normal kid, who went to school and came back home to spend the rest of the time studying. You didn’t have much of a choice, since you weren’t allowed to walk around the villa. You couldn’t even go in the other rooms of the servant dormitory.</p><p>One night, you couldn’t sleep so you sat in the kitchen, looking at the garden outside the window. That exact night, you saw the gates of the garden open and two cars followed by a truck entered the garden, stopping at the back of the villa. You quickly ran out of the room and went to the back garden, hiding behind the plants to spy what was happening. You saw the owner of the house, Mr. Kwon, walking out of the villa to greet the men that had just arrived. You couldn’t hear what they were saying, but at some point you saw him shaking hands with one of the strangers, who then said something to one of his men. Said man went to the truck, and with some help from other people, they took out two cages, covered by cloths. From how heavy they seemed, you were sure there was <em>something </em>inside. They brought the cages in the basement from a secret door. You wanted to see more, but you were afraid of getting caught, so that night you ran back to your room before anyone could see you outside, or before you father noticed you were awake.</p><p>The day after, right back from school, you tried to walk around the garden, but the whole place was crowded by guests and servants during the day, and every time someone noticed you around, they ordered or forced you to go back inside. You were too curious to give up, so you waited for the night, to try again.</p><p>When it was dark outside, and everyone was already sound asleep, you sneaked out of the place and walked to the back garden. You noticed an old door half hidden behind some plants. When you tried to open it, you weren’t surprised to find it locked. Lucky for you, at school you enjoyed playing tricks on the other students, and you used your father’s tools to open their lockers. You took one of those tools out of your pocket, and tried working on the lock. Soon enough, you managed to open the door, and you hurried inside. You found yourself in a long and dark corridor, poorly illuminated by a few candles on the walls. You walked to the end of the corridor, where you found another door, which surprisingly wasn’t locked.</p><p>You walked inside and looked around the room. It wasn’t a small room, bu it wasn’t big either. There was a big table next to another door at the other side of the room. Next to the table there were some strage tools, and a sink. Next to you, there were the two cages, one on your left and one on your right. They were both still covered with the cloths. You slowly approached one and tried to lift the cloth, when suddenly whatever was inside the cage growled at you, startling you. From the sound you realized it was an animal. You tried again and finally lifted the material, despite the growls coming from the cage. The first thing you noticed were two big shiny eyes, then you noticed the black fur and the big fangs that the panther was showing you in a threatening way. The animal suddenly jumped forward and tried to reach to you sliding his big paw between the bars. You jumped back just before his claws met your flesh. Something started to move from the other cage as well, and you heard another growl and a bark. The noises probably alarmed someone, and you heard voices coming from the door next to the table. Panicking, you gave one last glance at the panther and then quickly ran away from where you came, trying not to make too much noise. </p><p>That night you managed to not get caught, but the discovery of what was in the cage, was too shocking to make you feel relieved. What was in the other cage? Another panther? Why were those animals there? Why did Mr. Kwon get such animals? Why was he keeping them in the basement? There were too many questions and no answers. </p><p>The following night you went there again, but the two cages were empty. Maybe Mr. Kwon put them somewhere else. He was rich, maybe he wanted to have his own zoo in the house. You tried walking around to any place he could have built a zoo, but you found nothing. </p><p>During the day you heard your father talking about the two animals with another man. Apparently your father had become their keeper somehow. You wanted to ask him about them, but you knew you would only get in trouble if someone found out that you knew about it. You eavesdropped some conversations, but most of the things that were said were too confusing for you to understand. </p><p>A few nights later, you went to the basement again, and this time the two animals were in the cages, which weren’t covered anymore. They were both laying down, looking asleep, and you noticed that the animal in the second cage was a wolf. You walked closer to his cage and noticed the cuts all over him. Worried, you ran to the panther and noticed he had cuts and bite marks too. The panther slowly raised his head, and when he noticed you he started to growl at you again. You, however, didn’t move. </p><p>《Why are you hurt?》 you asked, worried</p><p>The panther growled more angrily, finally getting up and walking to you. He looked like moving was hurting him. You looked around and noticed a cloth on the table. You took it and put it under the water, then you walked back to the panthers cage.</p><p>《Let me clean you up》 you said </p><p>He tried to get to you passing his paw between the bars again, but you stepped back in time, already expecting such a reaction. You glanced at the wolf, who still seemed asleep. You decided to go to the wolf, and reached for him. Lucky for you, he was close enough to the bars of the cage. The wolf whimpered in his sleep, as you cleaned his cuts.</p><p>《Stop!》 a male voice ordered</p><p>You turned around, but there was no one else in the room. </p><p>《Step away from him》 </p><p>The voice seemed to come from where the panther was, but how could it be possible?</p><p>《I said, step away from him》 </p><p>This time, you were looking directly at the panther as he talked. You were shocked. </p><p>《Y-you talk?》 you asked, scared</p><p>《Don’t touch my friend again or I swear I’ll rip your throat》 he threatened, growling </p><p>His threat went in an ear and out of the other. You stepped closer to his cage.</p><p>《How… how can you talk?》</p><p>He tilted his head, confused and annoyed.</p><p>《Are you stupid or something?》 he asked</p><p>《Am I imagining this?》 you asked yourself </p><p>《You’re not imagining it》 another voice said</p><p>You quickly looked behind you and noticed the wolf, who was finally awake.</p><p>《Animals don’t talk》 you said, confused</p><p>《But hybrids do》 the wolf replied</p><p>《What the hell are you doing?》 the panther asked him, sternly 《Stop talking》</p><p>《She’s a kid》 the wolf replied 《What could she ever do?》</p><p>《I’m so confused》 you said 《What are hybrids?》</p><p>《We’re half human and half animal》 the wolf said </p><p>《How is it possible?》</p><p>《It happens when humans decide it’s a smart move to do experiments on people》 the panther replied, bitter</p><p>Your heart clenched, feeling sad for them. Before you could say something, the wolf talked again.</p><p>《You should go away and not come back again. You shouldn’t get caught here》</p><p>《I want to know what’s going on》 you said 《Why are you two hurt, why are you in cages, why are you here?》</p><p>Suddenly you heard voices coming from the other side of the door again, and you panicked.</p><p>《Run》 the wolf told you</p><p>You glanced at the two one last time, then you ran away. You couldn’t get the two animals out of your head for the whole night, which didn’t let you sleep. You tried to search up hybrid on the internet and in books, but you couldn’t find anything. Then, something clicked in your brain. You remembered that the teachers once told you that most of the informations weren’t in the internet that you could have access to, but they were in the dark web, which also had access to many illegal activities.</p><p>You spent days trying to understand how to enter the dark web, and when you finally managed, you searched up “hybrids”. You felt shivers down your spine when you noticed all the informations that came up. There were tons of pages explaining how hybrid were made, how there were the generations born from the experiments, and the ones born from parents that had been experimented on. There were also many sites selling hybrids, and other talked about illegal fights between said creatures. You looked through the last one, and your eyes widened when you saw Mr. Kwon’s name in the list of owners of fighting hybrids. </p><p>That night, you went back to the basement, bringing a first aid kit with you. When the door opened, both hybrids turned to look at you.</p><p>《I though I told you not to come back》 the wolf said</p><p>His tone wasn’t as cold as the panther’s, it was more protective than mean.</p><p>《I brought this》 you said, taking out the kit</p><p>The two animals looked at each others, surprised. You walked to the wolf first, because you knew he wasn’t going to attack you, like the panther did more than once. You started cleaning his cuts and he whimpered in pain.</p><p>《I’m sorry》 you said, trying to touch him as lightly as you could</p><p>《They’re making you fight, aren’t they?》 you asked</p><p>《I see you made your researches》 he replied </p><p>《I tried…》</p><p>The wolfed hummed in response. </p><p>《Do you fight each others?》 you asked</p><p>《No, thank god no》 the wolf replied 《We’re fighting other hybrids》</p><p>《I would rather die than fight him》 the panther said </p><p>《Why do they make you fight?》 </p><p>《Because humans enjoy seeing animals kill each others》 the wolf replied </p><p>《I don’t understand》 you replied, not getting how something like that could be of entertainment to people</p><p>《Stay innocent》 the wolf told you, softly </p><p>Once you finished treating his cuts, you went to the panther. </p><p>《Can I clean you too?》 you asked</p><p>《I don’t need your help》 he replied </p><p>《Please》 you begged him 《I can’t bear the though of you two being hurt. This is the least I could do》</p><p>He frowned, looking at you, hesitant.</p><p>《Let her do it》 the wolf said</p><p>Slowly and hesitantly, the panther walked closer to the bars, and you started cleaning his cuts.</p><p>《Do you have names?》 you asked 《I’m Y/N》</p><p>《I’m Hongjoong》 the wolf said </p><p>《And you?》 you asked the panther </p><p>《Seonghwa》 he replied, not looking at you</p><p>You wanted to reply “it’s nice to meet you” but you figured the circumstances weren’t the best to say something like that. </p><p>《I read that hybrids can use their animals form but also their human form》 I said 《Can you turn into humans too?》</p><p>《We could, but this collars force us to keep our animal form》 Seonghwa said</p><p>You wondered how you didn’t notice the collars until that moment, but it wasn’t important. It was such a cruel thing. The door behind you suddenly opened and you met your father’s eyes.</p><p>《What the hell are you doing here?》 he yelled</p><p>You got up, scared. He walked to you and grabbed your arm, dragging you away. You looked back just to notice both Hongjoong and Seonghwa growling at your father. Unfortunately for you, they were trapped and couldn’t help you in any way. You father dragged you to your room and beat you up, to make you understand that you weren’t allowed to go there again and that if you did, you were going to be punished worse than that. You didn’t enjoy getting beaten, obviously, but the hybrid’s situation felt way too unfair to just let it go like that. Despite the risks, you managed to sneak into the basement again. </p><p>Both the wolf and the panther noticed the bruises and dried blood on your body and face, but you ignored their questions and kept taking care of them. This went on for a while, and you managed to find the right hours and ways to go there without getting caught. You usually went to treat their injuries, but sometimes you also brought them food, since they were getting fed poorly, and only once a day. You stayed for a while, to keep them company, then you went back to your room before someone noticed your absence. You managed do it for two months without getting caught again. Then, one night, Mr. Kwon himself found you. The way he beat you up was way worse than what your father did two month earlier. Mr. Kwon almost beat you to death, and was only stopped by your father who begged him to spare you. You father, then, made sure he beat you himself as well, to let you learn the lesson. </p><p>You didn’t manage to visit the hybrid for two night after that, and they were both worried about you. On the third day, you eavesdropped a conversation between Mr. Kwon and your father about the hybrid. When you heard Mr. Kwon say that the hybrid were getting too weak and he was planning on killing them that exact night, you panicked. Then, you did the craziest thing you ever did. </p><p>You went to the back garden and opened a hole in the gate, using your father’s carpenter’s tools. You opened the door to the corridor of the basement, breaking it so it couldn’t be closed again. Then, you ran to the hybrid’s room. When they saw you, their eyes widened. </p><p>《Y/N, are you okay?》 Hongjoong asked 《We were worried about you》</p><p>《We don’t have time to talk》 you said hurriedly 《They’re coming to kill both of you》</p><p>You took the bolt cutter and cut Seonghwa’s lock, opening his cage. While you opened Hongjoong’s cage, you heard voices getting nearer and nearer.</p><p>《I opened a hole in the gate right in front of the exit》 you told them 《No matter what happens, don’t turn back. Just run. I’ll distract them》</p><p>《We can’t just-》 </p><p>《Go!》 you ordered, cutting Seonghwa off</p><p>You slightly pushed them and they gave in and started to run, just as the other door opened. Just like you told them, they ran away as fast as they could and didn’t turn back, as you tried to block your father and his men from running after them, attacking them with the bolt cutter. Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong could hear your screams from outside the house, and they ran, worrying about what would happen to you.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Seonghwa walked casually between the crowd of people, pretending to drink the champagne in the glass he was holding in his hand. He sometimes quietly approached a group of people or got closer to eavesdrop their conversation, pretending to be focused on the music that the live orchestra was playing.</p><p>《I can’t find Mr. Lee anywhere》 Hongjoong’s voice came from Seonghwa’s earpiece</p><p>He was monitoring the place’s security cameras, looking for the man, but he couldn’t see him in the crowd. Seonghwa looked for him too around the people, but it seemed like he wasn’t there.</p><p>《I think he didn’t come tonight》 Seonghwa said 《I’ve heard Mrs. Harris talking about him and it seemed like he said he couldn’t come at the last minute》</p><p>《Way to waste a night》 Hongjoong mumbled 《We could have done something more useful than stalking rich people》</p><p>《It wasn’t completely useless》 Seonghwa replied 《I heard some pretty interesting things about next week’s auction》</p><p>《Did you hear where they’ll hold it?》</p><p>《Yes, they will-》</p><p>Seonghwa was talking while turning around, but then he suddenly froze. He couldn’t believe his eyes. From far he could see you talking to a man on the stairs to the second floor. Eight long years had passed since the last time he saw you, but you hadn’t changed one bit. The only difference, was that you were a woman now.</p><p>《Seonghwa?》 Hongjoong called, worried 《Are you still there?》</p><p>《Yes》 he replied, not really listening to his friend</p><p>Looking at you, he felt a weird nostalgic feeling in his chest. He spent eight years looking for you, wondering if you were okay or if something happened to you. He spent eight years missing you. Having you in front of his eyes so suddenly felt odd.</p><p>While talking to the man, you looked around the room and your eyes met Seonghwa’s. Panicking, he quickly turned around.</p><p>《Y/N is here》 he said, starting to walk away</p><p>《Y/N?》 Hongjoong asked, confused 《Y/N who?》</p><p>《<em>That</em> Y/N!》</p><p>He heard Hongjoong curse on the other side of the line.</p><p>《She’s alive?》 he asked, his voice shaking</p><p>《Yes》 Seonghwa replied 《And I think she saw me. I have to get out of here》</p><p>《She never saw your human form, you should be safe》 Hongjoong reasoned</p><p>《Yeah but she knows my voice》 Seonghwa replied, trying to find an excuse to run out of that house 《We can’t risk it》</p><p>《Just get out of there then, we already got what we wanted》</p><p>Seonghwa quickly glanced behind him and noticed you in the crowd. You were looking around, probably looking for someone. He didn’t know if you were looking for him or someone else, but he couldn’t stay there to find out. He turned around again and walked out of the house. When Seonghwa arrived home, Hongjoong was already waiting for him at the entrance.</p><p>《Was it really her?》 he asked, nervous</p><p>《Yes》</p><p>《How is she? Did she look okay?》</p><p>《She’s… she’s grown so much》 Seonghwa replied, frowning</p><p>《It’s been eight years》</p><p>《I never thought I would see her again》 he confessed 《I can’t believe it’s real》</p><p>《At least we know she’s alive》 Hongjoong said 《I’ve lived with that doubt weighting on my chest for all these years》</p><p>《We need to find out more》 Seonghwa suddenly said 《I don’t understand why she was at that party. I have a bad feeling about this》</p><p>《Let’s go to San》</p><p>The two walked into San’s studio, where he was working on his computers.</p><p>《You’re back》 he said, not even looking away from the screen</p><p>《I need you to do something for me》 Seonghwa said 《I need you to find everything you can about a girl named Kang Y/N》</p><p>Seonghwa spent those eight years looking for you, and he already knew that only looking for you knowing your name was not enough. But he had more clues now, which he hoped would be of help.</p><p>《She was at the party, her name should be on the list》 he continued 《I saw her talking with Choi Dohyun, so look if you can find something about her connected to him》</p><p>San started typing on the keyboard right away.</p><p>《Who is she?》 he asked while working</p><p>《She’s an old friend》 Hongjoong replied</p><p>《There were other hybrids at the party?》 San asked, surprised</p><p>《She’s human》 Hongjoong said</p><p>San stopped typing, then slowly turned to look at his two friends.</p><p>《Just find her》 Seonghwa said 《We’ll talk about this later》</p><p>He knew San was going to get mad at them, so he ordered him to go back to work. Hongjoong and Seonghwa both chilled on the couch next to San, waiting for him to find something. In the mean time, Seonghwa informed him of the things he heard during the party.</p><p>《Guys I got something》 San said at one point</p><p>They got up so fast that San flinched back, surprised.</p><p>《What did you find?》 Seonghwa asked, impatient</p><p>《I couldn’t find anything under her name, not even if she attended a school or bought something》 San said, typing something 《Apparently her name wasn’t on the list either. She probably attended the party as someone’s “plus one”》</p><p>《I looked for any connection with Choi Dohyun and I found this》 he said</p><p>He showed a blurry photo of a worker’s ID card. The person on the ID was you, but the name was different. What bothered Seonghwa the most, was the fact that it was the ID of a company that was known for doing illegal business with hybrids.</p><p>《She works for Choi Dohyun under the name Min Chaewon》 San explained 《It seems like she’s been working there for almost a year. She takes care of organizing the events. I hacked into their systems and I found out she’ll be helping with the auction of next week as well》</p><p>Both Seonghwa and Hongjoong were too shocked to reply.</p><p>《You said she’s a friend》 San slowly said, upset 《You are friends with abusers?》</p><p>《She doesn’t work with them》 Seonghwa replied, in denial 《There must be a reason. She’s not like that, she wouldn’t do it》</p><p>《I think the facts prove otherwise》</p><p>《Seonghwa’s right, there must be a reason》 Hongjoong agreed</p><p>San sighed.</p><p>《You’ll see it with your own eyes at the auction》 he replied 《She’ll be there》</p><p>Seonghwa kept staring at the screen, looking at your photo. He felt torn. Even though you only spent two months together, he knew deep inside that you weren’t a bad person, but this new discovery was messing with his head. He told himself he wasn’t going to believe it. He only wanted the day of the auction to arrive as soon as possible, so he could finally see you again, and find out what your intentions were.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You lowered the volume of the radio, and turned the steering wheel to the left, taking a secret path down the hill. All around you, trees and bushes became more and more frequent, making it hard to see what there was around. Soon, you parked in front of a house. You got out of the car and walked to the house, getting right in. As soon as you entered, you saw Yunho walking to you to greet you, smiling.</p><p>《We weren’t expecting you today》 he said</p><p>《I wanted to come by》 you confessed</p><p>He took your hand and you took you with him to the living room. You saw Yeosang in the kitchen from afar and you waved at each others. You sat on the couch next to Yunho, waiting for Yeosang to join you. He walked in with a sandwich on a plate, and he sat next to you, biting his snack.</p><p>《Did the other night go well?》 Yeosang asked</p><p>《Yes, it went well》 you replied 《I convinced Dohyun to let me help with the auction》</p><p>《This plan is a bit risky》 Yunho said, frowning 《You’re already exposing yourself too much, I’m sure you’ll be the first suspect once it’s all over》</p><p>《I know, but there is no other way this time》 you replied 《I’ll find a way to get away with it. I always find a way》</p><p>You smiled at Yunho, hoping to reassure him, but he wasn’t convinced. He was worried about you.</p><p>《What are you going to do on Wednesday then?》 Yeosang asked, taking another bite of his sandwich 《What’s the plan? In details…》</p><p>《Well, there are no details》 you confessed 《I go to the auction, sneak to the storehouse, free the hybrid and then make up a decoy to let him run away》</p><p>《That’s very precise and convincing》 Yeosang replied, monotone 《It’ll work for sure》</p><p>《Look, that’s all I can plan for now》 you replied, exasperated 《I don’t know how much security there will be, or how they’ll bring the hybrid. I don’t know any detail about it yet》</p><p>Yeosang and Yunho knew well that the details were always agreed on last minute by the companies, exactly to prevent accidents from happening. You had to pay a lot of attention in the following days to find out as much as you could, but in those situation it was always a matter of luck and improvisation more than planning.</p><p>《Did you find out what type of hybrid it is?》 Yunho asked</p><p>You smiled unconsciously before replying.</p><p>《He’s a black bear》 you said</p><p>You watched as Yunho’s face light up and he smiled brightly.</p><p>《Another bear》 he said, excited</p><p>《Yes, another bear》 you replied</p><p>You spent the evening chatting with them, catching up on the things that happened while you weren’t there. You spent the night at the house, but despite them telling you to use the spare room, you decided to sleep on the couch.</p><p> </p><p>《<em>How was your day at school?</em>》<em> Hongjoong asked</em></p><p>《<em>Really?</em>》<em> you said, amused </em>《<em>You’re asking me about school?</em>》</p><p>《<em>We need to talk about other things, to feel somehow normal</em>》<em> he replied</em></p><p>《<em>I don’t think talking about school would make us feel less trapped</em>》<em> Seonghwa replied, tired</em></p><p>
  <em>You understood their intentions. They were always in the cages, or fighting other hybrids, and they were trying their best to stay sane or to feel like they had a normal life, even if it was just for a second.</em>
</p><p>《<em>You seem more tired than usual</em>》<em> you told Seonghwa, worried</em></p><p>
  <em>He laid down and sighed, closing his eyes.</em>
</p><p>《<em>I don’t think I can do this for much longer</em>》<em> he replied</em></p><p>
  <em>You walked to his cage, sitting down as close as you could. You reached your arm out and started petting him. You saw his mouth open, probably to tell you to stop, but he soon closed it again and relaxed under your touch. It was the first time he let you touch him without complaining, and you were happy about it, but also sad because it meant he really was exhausted. After a while of you petting him, he even started to purr. Hongjoong chuckled behind you.</em>
</p><p>《<em>You got him this time, Y/N</em>》<em> he said, smiling softly</em></p><p>《<em>I wish I could do something for you</em>》<em> you replied, turning to him </em>《<em>I can’t stand watching you get hurt like this</em>》</p><p>《<em>You can’t do anything</em>》<em> the wolf said </em>《<em>But it’s okay like this. Even if you could, we wouldn’t want you to. We don’t want to see you hurt either</em>》</p><p>
  <em>When you turned back to Seonghwa, you noticed he was looking at you. There was sadness and worry in his eyes. He leaned his face closer to your hand.</em>
</p><p>《<em>Don’t worry about us</em>》<em> he said</em></p><p>
  <em>You were about to reply, when the alarm of your watch went off, signaling it was time for you to go back to your room.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Your eyes opened slowly, and you felt more tired than you were the night before. It took you a couple of minutes to wake up completely and remember the dream you had. You already knew that it wasn’t a dream, but a memory. What bothered you, was that you were dreaming again about Hongjoong and Seonghwa. It felt weird, since you thought you managed to stop dreaming about them years earlier. Why were you suddenly remembering them again? Was it because this mission was worrying you more than usual? Did it somehow remind you of them? You tried to go back to sleep, but your thoughts and the heavy feeling in your chest kept you awake. You already knew the next days were going to be really difficult.</p><p>—</p><p>Wednesday, the day of the auction, finally came, and unfortunately for you, you knew just as much as you knew a week before. They kept the information of the event extremely confidential, and didn’t tell anything to anyone. You hadn’t given them a reason not to trust you, but you were kind of new to the company so they didn’t tell you anything anyway.</p><p>You were currently walking around the place. Officially, you were checking that the place had everything it needed for the auction. In reality, you were checking the security and making sure you knew all the exists.</p><p>《The guests are starting to arrive》 Dohyun said 《I need you to escort them all in the room and make sure they all have everything they need》</p><p>《Yes sir》 you replied</p><p>You went to the entrance and waited for the people to arrive. The hybrid wasn’t the only thing that was being sold that night. It was an auction for all sort of things, which mostly included stolen paintings and sculptures. The hybrid was the main attraction of the night, and also the only living creature destined to be sold. You were debating if it was better to try and free him before everything started, during the auction, or after he had been sold. You were constantly surrounded by people and there was always someone keeping an eye on you, and it worried you. After all the rich guests arrived, the building went on lockdown and the auction started. You were in the corner of the room, looking around the guests. Two young men sitting down on the side of the room caught you attention. You were the one who greeted everyone, and you were sure you hadn’t seen them before.</p><p>You didn’t have time to do anything about it, that your boss called you. He asked you to move some of the objects in another room, and you sucked it up, doing your work. Your intention was to do what he asked for, then quickly free the hybrid. The task your boss gave you would have been a useful alibi.</p><p>You were turning around after moving the last box, when you froze, noticing a man in front of you. You realized he was one of the two men you noticed in the room before. Looking at him, you felt like there was something familiar about him.</p><p>《Can I help you?》 you asked, suspicious </p><p>《There is nothing you can do for me》 he replied</p><p>Your eyes widened and your heartbeat speeded up. You knew that voice well, and you knew you could recognize it anywhere, despite not having heard it in eight years.</p><p>《S-seonghwa?》 you asked, shocked</p><p>《You really do work for them》 he coldly said, more to himself than to you</p><p>《You’re alive》 you whispered 《I looked for you everywhere》</p><p>You were confused, surprised and shocked. Suddenly having him in front of you felt impossible and odd. You searched for him for years and you had given up on seeing him again, as it didn’t seem possible. </p><p>《I guess one can’t go too far from their origins》 Seonghwa replied, ignoring what you said 《After everything that happened, you’re working with them. You torture hybrids, just like your father did to us》</p><p>You felt you pang in your chest, but you couldn’t reply. Even if he was Seonghwa, you still couldn’t blow your cover up. Even if it meant having him hate you, you couldn’t tell him the truth.</p><p>《You can’t even reply?》 he asked 《All this time I was worried about you, but you were doing just fine. You turned into a monster, just like them》</p><p>He took a step back, looking at you with so much disappointment in his eyes, that it made you want to crawl into a corner and cry.</p><p>《I’m ashamed for you》</p><p>He turned around and walked away, leaving you shaking. You just met the love of your life, after years of not knowing if he was even alive or not. You finally met him, after years of searches, and he believed that you betrayed him.You took a couple of shaky breaths, trying to calm down. You had a mission, and you couldn’t let Seonghwa get in the way. You had to clear your mind.</p><p>Holding back the tears and the anxious feeling, you ran to the storehouse, picking up your backpack from the staff room on the way. There were two guards outside the front door, so you went to the back. The window was big enough for a person to go through it. You took your tools form your bag and opened the window, quickly crawling in the room. It was pretty dark and it was full of big wooden boxes. The only thing that stood out, was the big cage on a corner. You could see a big animal inside, but it was too dark to see him properly, so you walked closer to the cage.</p><p>《Please don’t make any noise》 you whispered to him, as soon as you were near the cage 《I’m here to help. If the guards outside hear something, we’re both doomed》</p><p>The bear looked at you, tilting his head.</p><p>《Who are you?》 he asked in a hoarse voice</p><p>《My name is Y/N》 you said 《I’m going to get you out of here》</p><p>The bear watched you, curious, as you took out something from your backpack and started working on the lock of the cage. You found it harder than usual, but you managed to open the lock. You made sure to put it away and open the cage without making much noise. When you walked into the cage, the bear stepped back.</p><p>《I promise I won’t hurt you》 you said, softly 《I just need to take off your collar. You can’t get out of here in your bear form》</p><p>《This can’t work》 he said with a shaky voice 《They will find me and they’ll kill me》</p><p>《I have a plan. Once I get your collar off, you will leave from that window》 you explained pointing the window you had just used to get in 《You will get out in your human form, so they won’t recognize you. I’ll leave you my bag, where you will find some food and all the directions to get to a safe house. There will be two hybrid there, waiting fo you》</p><p>《What will you do?》 he asked</p><p>《I have to make sure no one notices you》 you replied, smiling 《I’ll come by the safe house soon. Will you trust me?》</p><p>He nodded and stepped forward, giving you access to his neck. You took his collar off and he turned himself into a boy. He tried to walk and stumbled a bit.</p><p>《I haven’t been in my human form in years》 he explained</p><p>He quickly composed himself. You closed the cage again to make it seem normal at first sight, then you both got out from the window. Outside, you gave him your bag and showed him the way.</p><p>《I will see you soon》 you told him</p><p>You watched as he ran away, then quickly ran into the building again. Two men from the auction walked to the storehouse and you suddenly panicked. You knew that the bear was going to be the last “piece” of the auction, how could they already be coming for him? You walked towards them, trying not to look suspicious.</p><p>《Hi, sorry》 you greeted them, smiling 《Mr. Choi asked me to move some very heavy boxes but I’m having some problems. Could you come with me and help me out?》</p><p>《We’re sorry, but we can’t right now》 one of the two said 《We need to bring the hybrid to the auction first》</p><p>《It will take only a few minutes》 you said, quickly 《The hybrid can wait a few minutes. No need to hurry. I’m sure they people in the room could use a bit of suspence, no?》</p><p>《As he said, we really can’t right now》 the other man said 《We’ll come help you as soon as the hybrid is settled》</p><p>While the guards opened the doors of the room, you tried to think of a sudden request or distraction, but your mind was blank. Before you realized, they were all inside.</p><p>《Where the hell is the hybrid?》 you heard one shout</p><p>You cursed under your breath and turned around, trying to walk away quickly without making it look like you were running away.</p><p>《Hey! You!》 the man yelled at you</p><p>You glanced back only to see the two man and the two guards running towards you.</p><p>《Fuck》 you said, starting to run 《I knew this wasn’t gonna work》</p><p>You couldn’t risk running in the same direction you send the hybrid, so you ran on the opposte direction, which basically meant going into a trap. You ran towards the auction room. You came out of backstage, jumping off the stand and running towards the crowd of buyers, who watched you confused about what was happening. You pushed away the people that were near the door, but as soon as you found yourself in the corridor that brought you to the main entrance, you noticed four guards on the other side, running towards you. At a few feet from you there was a restroom, so you ran inside. You climbed on one of the sinks, opening the window above it and using it as an exit. You were running, focused on losing the guards that were following you, that you didn’t notice two other guards right in front of you, as you turned around a corner. One managed to grab your arm and pull you to him. You punched him, but he didn’t move an inch. The other guy grabbed your other arm and they started to drag you away. As they did so, the other guards caught up and they were all around you. You tried to free yourself, kicking around, but nothing was working.</p><p>Then, one of the guards in front of you, suddenly fell, unconscious. Right behind him, you saw Seonghwa. He attacked other guards, and you took advantage of this sudden change, to try and free yourself again, which worked with one of the two guards that were holding you. You were about to punch the one who was still grabbing your arm, when you felt something sting your neck. Your head felt dizzy and your vision got blurry. In a matter of seconds, your legs gave out and you fell to the floor, unconscious.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You started groaning even before you opened your eyes. You had a headache, and your vision was still a bit blurry at first. When you finally put into focus what was in front of you, you looked around, trying to understand where you were.</p><p>《Don't worry, you're safe》</p><p>Your eyes widened at the familiar voice, and you whipped your head to see a man on the other side of the room.</p><p>《Hongjoong!》 you said, jumping on the bed, then groaning at the pain in your head</p><p>《Don't move so quickly!》 he scolded you</p><p>You couldn't care less about your head.</p><p>《You're okay》 you whispered, letting the tears fall</p><p>His stare softened and he walked closer to the bed, sitting next to you and taking your hand in his.</p><p>《We're all okay》 he replied, smiling</p><p>You smiled back, still crying. You were so happy that both Seonghwa and him were alive and well. You had been so worried about them.</p><p>《Can I hug you?》 you asked with a shaky voice</p><p>He nodded and you wrapped your arms around him, tight. He hugged you back just as thigh and you relaxed in his arms.</p><p>《I'm so glad you're okay》 you confessed 《I missed you》</p><p>《I missed you too》 he replied</p><p>You broke the hug and he looked at you, grinning.</p><p>《You might have grown up, but you still cause a lot of trouble》 he said, making you chuckle</p><p>《Sorry》 you replied, shrugging</p><p>You debated in your head if you should ask it or not, but after a while you did it anyway.</p><p>《Where's Seonghwa?》</p><p>《I don't know》 he replied 《He's upset with himself for doubting you》</p><p>《It's not his fault》 you replied, sadly</p><p>《He'll come to you when he's ready》</p><p>You nodded, giving in.</p><p>《You slept for quite a while, you must be hungry》</p><p>《I am, a bit》 you replied, embarrassed</p><p>《Let's go get you something to eat》 he said getting up and reaching out his hand for you to take 《I'll introduce you to the others》</p><p>You got up and took his hand, following him out of the room.</p><p>《Where are we?》 you asked</p><p>《We're in our house》 he replied 《It's a bit out of the city, but at least here no one bothers us》</p><p>You went to the kitchen, where Hongjoong made you sit at the table, while he took out some ingredients from the fridge and started cooking. After a while, two boys entered the room.</p><p>《I told you I smelled food》 he shorter one said</p><p>《Oh, she's here》 the other one said</p><p>Hongjoong turned around.</p><p>《Guys, this is Y/N》 he said</p><p>《I'm Wooyoung》 the short one said</p><p>《And I'm Mingi》 the other said</p><p>《Nice to meet you》 you replied, smiling shyly</p><p>《There is still another hybrid in the house》 Hongjoong explained, going back to the food 《His name is San. I don't know if or when you'll meet him. He's not fond of humans》</p><p>《He might be a bit mean, but don't worry about it》 Mingi said 《Just ignore him, like we all do when he starts complaining》</p><p>You chuckled and Mingi smiled back at you. Soon, Hongjoong put a plate of food in front of you and you started eating, as the other two boys begged him to prepare something for them as well.</p><p>《You said she's an old friend of yours and Seonghwa's. How did you guys meet?》 Wooyoung asked Hongjoong, curious</p><p>He looked at you silently asking for your permission to tell the story.</p><p>《You can talk about it》 you said, softly</p><p>《I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable》 he replied</p><p>He turned to the two hybrids and started telling the story.</p><p>《Eight years ago Seonghwa and I were used as fighting hybrids in illegal fights. We were bought by a powerful man and we were brought to live in his basement. Y/N was the daughter of our keeper and she secretly took care of us, until she managed to free us》</p><p>You kept eating, trying to avoid eye contact. You were sure you couldn't hold back the tears, if you looked at them.</p><p>《Thank you Y/N》 Wooyoung said, sincerely 《Thank you for helping them》</p><p>《I just... I...》</p><p>You couldn't find the words to reply to such a statement. You weren't supposed to be thanked for helping them, it wasn't fair.</p><p>《Let's change the subject》 Hongjoong said, sensing your discomfort 《Let's cheer up》</p><p>You finished the food and put the fork in the plate, looking up at the three hybrids.</p><p>《Does any of you know where I can find Seonghwa?》 you asked</p><p>《He's in his room》 Mingi replied</p><p>《Second floor, third door on the right》 Hongjoong added, before you could even ask</p><p>《Thank you》</p><p>You got up and said goodbye to the three, walking to Seonghwa's room. Once you found yourself in front of the door, your heart was beating so fast that you were sure it could be heard from other people. You knocked on the door and waited for a reply, but you got nothing from the other side.</p><p>《Seonghwa, it's me》 you said, knocking again</p><p>Not receiving a reply, you tried opening the door and you were surprised to find it unlocked. You entered the room, which was almost completely dark. The room was huge. There was a big bed on the left, and on the right corner of the room there was a big tree. Seonghwa was in his panther form, laying on one of the branches. You walked to the tree and climbed on it, quickly reaching the branch Seonghwa was on and sitting next to him.</p><p>《We haven't seen each others in eight years》 you said, softly 《Aren't you going to greet me?》</p><p>He didn't move nor reply, but you knew he wasn't sleeping.</p><p>《I'm not mad at you》 you calmly said 《I knew what it looked like, and I couldn't blew my cover so I couldn't tell you the truth. I understand why you felt that why and I don't blame you》</p><p>《I knew it that you weren't that type of person, but when I saw you there I couldn't help but feel betrayed》 he replied 《I should have trusted you》</p><p>《Seonghwa... look at me》 you begged</p><p>He finally moved and turned his head to look at you. You looked in the eyes that you haven't seen in eight years, and you noticed there was still hurt in them. It made your heart ache.</p><p>《It's okay. I'm not hurt, nor mad, so please stop hurting yourself like this》 you said 《We're finally together, we should be happy, not cry about something that happened and that was out of our control》</p><p>《It might mean nothing to you, but the fact that I doubted you is too much for me to stand》 he replied</p><p>You leaned on him and wrapped your arms around him, making him slightly flinch at the sudden act. His eyes widened when he felt your tears wet his fur.</p><p>《Don't cry》 he said with a shaking voice</p><p>《I'm sorry》 you apologized 《You're hurting because of me》</p><p>He closed his eyes, trying to hold back his own tears.</p><p>《Please stop crying》 he begged 《I'll get over it, I promise, so please stop crying》</p><p>《I missed you Seonghwa》 you said, hugging him a little tighter</p><p>《I missed you too, little one》</p><p>You broke the hug and looked at him. Despite the tears, you couldn't help but smile thinking that he was actually there. He was in front of you, and he was free.</p><p>《Can I ask you something?》 he asked, careful. You nodded.</p><p>《What happened that night? Hongjoong and I came back to find you but the whole house was empty》</p><p>You stiffed a bit, but you tried not to show it.</p><p>《Those days are a blur》 you replied 《I didn't last much against all of them. They managed to disarm me and beat me. I think I was drugged or something. I remember they took me away and I couldn't move, nor talk. I don't know how many days or week passed, by I remember that someone came back every day to beat me up. My whole body ached and I couldn't move an inch, I couldn't even properly see where I was or what was happening since I was always only half conscious. One day I woke up and I was lying between the trash in an alley. I don't know why they let me go instead of just killing me》</p><p>A tear managed to fall down Seonghwa's eye. He moved his face closer to you, rubbing it slowly against you, to show affection. You pet his head to let him know you were okay.</p><p>《Stay here tonight》 he said</p><p>You nodded and tried to move closer to him, even though you were already basically one over the other. You sat there and cuddled against him as you talked and tried to catch up about what happened during all those years. After a couple of hours you fell asleep against him, and he admired you until he fell asleep as well, finally relaxing knowing that you were safe and sound and that you were finally with him again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You woke up, slowly opening your eyes, still at ease for how comfortable your pillow felt. You sat straight and realized that you slept on Seonghwa and that he was awake. You froze, embarrassed.</p><p>《You're finally awake》 he said</p><p>《Have you been awake for long?》 you asked 《You could have woken me up! I was literally sleeping on you...》</p><p>《It wasn't uncomfortable. And you needed to rest》 he replied</p><p>You looked away, in case you were blushing.</p><p>《We should go have breakfast》 he proposed 《I'm sure the others will be eating soon too》</p><p>Right after he mentioned food, your stomach growled, making him chuckle. You nodded and got up. You waited for him outside of his room as he turned into his human form and changed.</p><p>《Let's go》 he said as he closed his bedroom door behind him</p><p>You two walked together to the kitchen, where you found Hongjoong, Wooyoung and Mingi.</p><p>《Good morning》 you greeted</p><p>They smiled at you and greeted you back. Hongjoong put the food on the plates and you all brought them to the living room, where you sat down to eat. You noticed Hongjoong put one more plate, and you imagined it was for the hybrid that you hadn't met yet.</p><p>《What happened to the hybrid of the auction?》 Hongjoong asked you</p><p>《I sent him to a safe house》 you replied 《There are already two hybrids there, waiting for him. I wonder if he arrived safely》</p><p>《It's probably not safe for them to be in that house》 Wooyoung said 《What if they managed to track him down?》</p><p>《We should bring them here》 Seonghwa said to Hongjoong</p><p>《Is it okay for you?》 Hongjoong asked you</p><p>《I just want them to be safe》 you said 《And this house seems the safest place at the moment》</p><p>《We should go there as soon as we finish breakfast》 he said 《If we put it off it could be too late》</p><p>You were about to agree, when someone entered the room and everyone turned to look at him. Hongjoong pointed at you, ready to introduce you</p><p>《San, this is-》</p><p>《The human》 San said, cutting him off and glaring at you</p><p>《Her name is Y/N》 Seonghwa added, with a stern voice</p><p>《You're letting her stay here?》 San accused</p><p>《San, don't start this now》 Mingi warned him</p><p>《You're letting her stay in our house!》 he yelled 《How could you do this to us? Don't you see that she's the enemy?》</p><p>You sat there, looking at him without saying a word. To be honest, you were even scared to breathe. You felt bad for him, but you didn't know how you could make the situation better. If you spoke, you knew it would only make him angrier.</p><p>Wooyoung got up from his seat and walked to San.</p><p>《Let's talk about this outside》 he told him, dragging him out of the room</p><p>Once they walked out, they all looked at you. The silence was making you anxious.</p><p>《He's a good person, I promise》 Mingi said 《He's just... really not fond of humans》</p><p>《It's okay》 you said 《Let's keep eating》</p><p>You started eating again trying to ignore what just happened, but with the corner of your eye you saw Seonghwa and Hongjoong look at each other with a worried look.</p><p>When you all finished eating, you went with Hongjoong and Seonghwa to your safe house. It was far from their house, out of the city. Once you arrived at the forest, you had to be very careful with the direction.</p><p>《Where now?》 Hongjoong asked</p><p>《You go straight till that rock》 you said pointing in front of you 《Then you turn left》</p><p>《There's no path there》 he replied, confused</p><p>《It might look too narrow for your van, but it shouldn't be a problem》 you said</p><p>He nodded at your statement, but he was still confused. He turned left and carefully drove between the trees. After a while you told him to take another turn, and then you started seeing the house. You pointed him a spot and he parked the car.</p><p>As you got off the car, the front door opened and Yunho ran out. Before you could even react, he wrapped you in his arms in a thigh hug.</p><p>《Thank god you're okay》 he said 《I was so worried! You disappeared and didn't contact us in any way! I thought something happened to me!》</p><p>《I'm sorry, the plan didn't exactly go as planned》 you told him, breaking the hug 《But I'm okay, don't worry》</p><p>Yunho looked behind you and his soft look turned into a glare.</p><p>《Who are they?》 he asked, serious</p><p>《They're old friends》 you told him 《Let's go inside, I'll explain everything》</p><p>You walked inside the house with Yunho, and Seonghwa and Hongjoong followed you. Yeosang was on the couch in the living room.</p><p>《See? I told you she was fine》 he said to Yunho</p><p>《I don't understand how you're never worried》 the bear hybrid mumbled</p><p>《What about the auction hybrid?》 you asked 《Did he find the house》</p><p>《Yes, he's upstairs resting》 Yeosang said 《I'll go call him》</p><p>《Thank you》</p><p>As Yeosang went upstairs to wake the hybrid up, you all sat down on the couches. You noticed that Yunho was glaring at Seonghwa, and that Seonghwa was glaring back at him.</p><p>《Who are you?》 Seonghwa asked</p><p>《I'm her friend》 Yunho replied 《Who are <em>you</em>?》</p><p>《I'm her friend too》</p><p>《Then why have I never seen you around?》 Yunho challenged him</p><p>《Yunho》 you called him softly 《They're old friends. I lost contact with them and met them again only recently》</p><p>《How do I know if we can trust them》 he said, sulking</p><p>《Do you trust me?》 you asked him</p><p>He looked at you with puppy eyes and nodded.</p><p>《I promise you they are trustworthy》</p><p>He looked hesitant but then nodded to you. In that moment Yeosang came, with the other hybrid behind him.</p><p>《You came!》 he said, smiling 《I though something happened to you at the auction》</p><p>《I managed to escape》 you replied, smiling back at him</p><p>They both sat down on the remaining seats.</p><p>《I didn't have the time to ask you for your name last time》 you told him</p><p>《I'm Jongho》</p><p>《It's nice to meet you, Jongho》</p><p>《I'm sorry to ruin the reunion, but... could you explain what's going on?》 Yeosang asked</p><p>《Oh, right. These are Seonghwa and Hongjoong》 you said 《They are old friends and they helped me escape from the auction. They have a safe house with other three hybrids, and since we can't be sure that this house is safe anymore, we came to bring you there》</p><p>《We're going to live with them?》 Yunho asked</p><p>《Choi's man might be tracking down the hybrid at the moment. It's a matter of time before they find him, or me here. Moving you to their house it's the only way to keep you safe》</p><p>《I don't mind it》 Yeosang replied</p><p>《Me neither》 Jongho added</p><p>Yunho sighed and nodded 《Okay then》</p><p>You let them pack their bags and then you all got on the van. Since you were the smallest, you sat in the last row, and during the journey back to the house, you talked with the three hybrids, especially with Jongho, to get to know him better. You didn't notice it, but Seonghwa watched you from the front seat during the whole journey.</p><p>Once you arrived at the new house, Hongjoong showed them their rooms and then all the hybrids spent some time together to know each others. San showed up only for a little while, just to introduce himself and say a couple words, then he walked away and probably went back to his room. You watched them from afar, happy that they were all together and safe.</p><p>You all ate dinner together, and Hongjoong brought the food directly to San's bedroom. At some point you heard them arguing upstairs, but you couldn't understand what they were saying. After dinner, Hongjoong walked you to your room.</p><p>《I tried to talk to San》 he said 《He's being stubborn but I told him to at least try to be around you for a little while, to give you a chance》</p><p>《Do you think he will do it?》 you asked</p><p>《I threatened him》 he replied, monotone 《He doesn't have a choice》</p><p>《Hongjoong!》</p><p>《Look, this is also for him, not only for you. He needs to get over his trauma》</p><p>《Don't force him》 you told him 《It will make him hate me more》</p><p>《We'll work this out, don't worry about him》</p><p>You said goodnight and he left. You changed into comfortable clothes, and you were about to lay down, when you heard someone knock on the door. You opened it and met Seonghwa's sweet eyes.</p><p>《Can I come in?》 he asked</p><p>《Sure》</p><p>You let him in and sat on the bed. After he closed the door, he sat next to you.</p><p>《Is something wrong?》 you asked</p><p>《No, I just... wanted to be with you for a while》 he said, not looking at you</p><p>《The boys seem to be getting along well》 you said</p><p>Seonghwa just nodded. He took your hand in his and started playing with your fingers absentmindedly. You sat there in silence as you focused on him.</p><p>《Are you okay?》 you asked, worried</p><p>《Yunho seemed very worried about you》 he said, calmly 《Is there something between you two?》</p><p>《Between me and Yunho?》 you asked, surprised 《There's nothing romantic involved. He sees me as a little sister, that's why he's so protective of me》</p><p>He nodded, and intertwined your fingers together.</p><p>《Why are you suddenly so affectionate?》 you asked</p><p>《I don't know, I just...》 he sighed 《I suddenly thought about all the time we spent apart and all the time I could have been with you. I want to be by your side, I don't think I could ever let you go again》</p><p>You felt your heart melt at the confession.</p><p>《There wasn't a day I never thought of you and Hongjoong》 you confessed 《Since that night, every single minute of every day, I wondered if you managed to escape, if you were safe, or if they got you again and put you somewhere I wouldn't be able to find you. I was so worried that something happened to you》</p><p>He turned to you and caressed your cheek with his hand.</p><p>《I've always loved you》 he softly said 《I think you should know》</p><p>《I love you too》 you replied 《I always had》</p><p>Words were useless now. He leaned closer and his lips finally touched yours, slowly guiding you in a soft kiss. In the kiss he let you know how much he cared for you, and you let him know how much you missed him. When he pulled back, he wiped away a single tear that was falling down your cheek.</p><p>《Let's sleep》 he whispered</p><p>You both laid down and he put his arm around your waist, pulling you as close as it was possible. You hid your head in his chest and wrapped your arm around him, falling asleep while listening to his stable heartbeat.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You felt soft touches on your face and hair, and you slowly woke up. You met Seonghwa’s eyes, which were watching you so fondly that you almost teared up.</p><p>《Good morning》 he said</p><p>《Why do you always wake up before me》 you whined, trying to hide your face</p><p>He chuckled and kissed your forehead, making you freeze.</p><p>《I need to get used to you being affectionate》 you said</p><p>《Don’t worry, I’ll make you get used to it pretty quickly》 he replied, smiling</p><p>Your heartbeat speeded up, but you tried to act normal. You both got up and decided to go downstairs to join the rest of the boys for breakfast. Once you arrived, everyone was already there and they were starting to eat. San was there too, and he acted like you didn’t exist. You and Seonghwa sat at the table, where Hongjoong had already prepared your plates. You were eating in silence, when Hongjoong decided to talk.</p><p>《So, did you two finally confess or…?》 he asked, out of the blue</p><p>You choked on your water, out of shock.</p><p>《What?》 you asked</p><p>《I’ve known you were made for each others since the beginning》 he explained 《I was just waiting for you two to realize it too, and let me tell you, it took you long enough!》</p><p>Seonghwa chuckled next to you and you looked at him, then back at Hongjoong, still shocked.</p><p>《You’re together now?》 Wooyoung asked, excited</p><p>Seonghwa nodded, smiling shyly. You were glad he replied, because you didn’t exactly know what to say. You did confess the night before, but you didn’t talk about relationships. You were happy, though, that he already thought of you as a couple. It was what you wanted, so you surely weren’t going to complain.</p><p>You heard a scoff and the sound of a fork being slammed on the table, and you turned to the source of the noise: San.</p><p>《Are you kidding me?》 San asked Seonghwa, annoyed 《You’re in a relationship? With her?》</p><p>《Yes》 the other replied, starting to get upset</p><p>《How could you?》 San accused him 《It’s already a crime that she’s living with us, and now you tell me that you are in relationship with her? You really have no respect for your kind》</p><p>He got up from his seat and left the room. You looked down, trying to not take it personal.</p><p>《Y/N, he didn’t mean-》 Hongjoong tried to say, but you cut him off</p><p>《I know, don’t worry》 you said, smiling sadly</p><p>There were a couple of minutes of awkward silence, then Mingi spoke up.</p><p>《Well, I don’t know how you much you will care about my opinion, but I think you two look cute together》</p><p>《I agree》 Yunho replied, and Jongho next to him nodded in agreement</p><p>You chuckled and Seonghwa relaxed again.</p><p>《Thank you》 you told them</p><p>Everyone kept eating, and Seonghwa squeezed your hand. After breakfast you wanted to spend some time with the other hybrids, so Seonghwa decided to find San. He found him sitting on a chair on the balcony. When he heard him, San sighed in annoyance.</p><p>《If you’re here to scold me again, just save it》 San said, without even turning around</p><p>《I just want to talk》 Seonghwa replied, sitting next to his friend</p><p>《I won’t accept it》 San said 《I can’t accept it》</p><p>《She’s different, San. She’s not like the humans you met》</p><p>《But she is a human. You said it yourself, she was born in that world, she was the daughter of the keeper of your prison. And until not too long ago, she still worked with them》 San explained 《What makes you think she suddenly won’t turn against us?》</p><p>《She never agreed with what her family and the other humans did to us. She risked her life to save Hongjoong and me. And yes, she worked with them until not too long ago, but she was undercover to save other hybrids. She saved Yunho, Yeosang and Jongho. Does that mean nothing to you?》</p><p>《I don’t believe in human’s generosity》 San replied, bitter</p><p>《If you stopped with your prejudices for just a couple of minutes, and tried to get to know her, you’d realize what kind of person she is》</p><p>《I can’t. Every time I look at her I am reminded of everything her people did to me》</p><p>Seonghwa clenched his fist, trying to stay clam.</p><p>《I understand where you come from, but from now on I won’t stay silent if you make other comments against her, or worse》 Seonghwa warned him 《I love her more than anything. I already lost her once, and I won’t let it happen again》</p><p>Without waiting for a reply, he got up and walked away, leaving San alone. He went to the living room, where he found you sitting with the others.</p><p>《What do you plan on doing now?》 Yeosang asked you 《You can’t go back to your apartment and you can’t go back to your work. I’m sure everyone’s looking for you now》</p><p>《I don’t know》 you admitted, defeated 《I can abandon my apartment like that, since I didn’t have anything valuable in there, but I still need to find another workplace》</p><p>《You should hide for a while》 Wooyoung said 《If they’re looking for you, you won’t be safe even if you find another job》</p><p>《Those people never give up. Hiding for years wouldn’t be enough for me to be free when I come back》 I replied</p><p>《Then we need to get rid of them》 Hongjoong said, as if it was the easiest thing ever</p><p>《It’s an entire organization》 you said 《You will never be able to get rid of everyone. And even if you did, it would just catch the attention of everyone else in the field. We’ll be back to zero》</p><p>《Do you have another idea?》 he replied, implying that there couldn’t have been any other option</p><p>《I can lay low for a few days, while I try to find a job in one of those villages where no one ever goes》 you replied shrugging</p><p>《Or you could do like us》 Mingi proposed 《Most of us work from home. We can’t share our identities, or be around people, so we do small jobs from here》</p><p>《That doesn’t sound too bad》 Seonghwa replied 《If you stay here you’d be safe》</p><p>《Not everyone is happy that I’m here, and I don’t want to burden you guys》 you replied</p><p>《San can suck it up》 Wooyoung replied 《He’ll get over it someday》</p><p>《It’s not fair to him. This is his house, I’m just a guest》</p><p>《You’re not a guest anymore》 Hongjoong said 《It’s your house too》</p><p>《Thank you》 you said, sincerely grateful 《But I still feel the need to find a place for myself. I would feel bad with myself if I lived here》</p><p>《We’ll help you then》 he replied</p><p>《I have to go out this afternoon to pick up an item》 Seonghwa told you 《You could come with me to see how the situation in the city is》</p><p>《When you’re back we can search for apartments or jobs》 Yunho proposed</p><p>《Sounds good to me》 you replied</p><p>You decided to change subject and talk about something else, as you waited for the afternoon to come to be able to go out with Seonghwa. Going back in the city made you a bit anxious, but you tried to stay calm. Seonghwa seemed calm, so you took it as confidence in the fact that you wouldn’t get in trouble.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the afternoon, Hongjoong walked you and Seonghwa to the garage.</p><p>《Be careful》 he said, as you two got in the car</p><p>《We will》 you replied, trying to reassure him with a smile</p><p>He didn't look convinced, but he just waved as Seonghwa started the car and you rode away. You turned the radio on and looked outside of the window, slowly getting more and more anxious as you approached the city.</p><p>《We need to go to our PO Box to collect a package from a client》 Seonghwa said</p><p>《What is it?》 you asked</p><p>《To be honest, I don't know either》 he replied calmly 《Wooyoung is in charge of this client, I'm just collecting it for him》</p><p>Soon after, Seonghwa parked the car in front of the post office. You put on your cap, to try to cover your face a little, and you both got off the car. You walked inside the post office, and while Seonghwa went to their box, you looked around in curiosity. There was a tv on a corner, showing the news. Unfortunately for you, the volume was at the minimum and you couldn't hear a thing they were saying. It was pretty useless to have a tv and not turn on the volume. You shrugged and turned around just in time to see Seonghwa walk to you with a box in his hands.</p><p>《Let's go》 he said</p><p>You followed him outside, and then back into the car. You were disappointed that you were already going back to the house, but at the same time you knew it was better for you not to stay outside for too long. You were on the road, when you started to see police officers on the sides.</p><p>《What's going on?》 you asked</p><p>You saw Seonghwa tense next to you.</p><p>《They are putting checkpoints around the city》 he said 《There will be more, the closer we get to the outskirts of the city》</p><p>《They're not looking for me, are they?》 you asked, hoping you were wrong</p><p>《Your boss knew many powerful people》 Seonghwa replied 《It wouldn't surprise me if he asked them a couple of favors to find you and the hybrid》</p><p>《What do we do now?》</p><p>He looked around, trying to find a way to go without being stopped. He turned right in a small road. You hoped that the sudden change of path wouldn't attract anyone's attention, and you almost felt like you were safe, until a police car suddenly appeared behind you. You both acted as if you didn't see it, but soon they turned on the siren, signaling you that you had to stop.</p><p>《What do we do?》 you asked Seonghwa, worried</p><p>《We lose them》 he replied, stepping on the accelerator</p><p>As he speeded up, the police car speeded up as well, and suddenly a second car was chasing you.</p><p>《They identified us》 you said 《They won't let us go easily》</p><p>《We might need help》</p><p>He touched the screen of the car and called Hongjoong, who answered right away.</p><p>《What is it?》 he asked</p><p>《They found us, we're being followed by the police》 Seonghwa said</p><p>《Did you try to lose them?》</p><p>《We're trying, but the cars are multiplying》 he replied, speeding up a little more 《I'm going to lead them to the abandoned factory. Meet me there with the boys》</p><p>《What? No!》 you said 《Hongjoong don't you dare》</p><p>《Y/N, this is not the-》 Seonghwa started, but you cut him off</p><p>《Don't get them in danger too》 you begged him 《They're here for me, you all shouldn't fight this for me. You're gonna get killed》</p><p>《Y/N, I know you don't want us to, but we will protect you in every way we can》 Hongjoong said 《Don't ask us not to act》</p><p>《Hongjoong, please don't-》</p><p>You heard the sound signaling he hung up. You felt yourself tear up.</p><p>《You shouldn't have called him》 you said</p><p>《I'm sorry》 Seonghwa replied</p><p>Your upset mood was soon crashed by the sudden turn Seonghwa had to take to avoid another police car that suddenly showed up next to you. All the cars speeded up, and Seonghwa tried to keep a distance between them while also trying to avoid the other cars on the road, trying not to get you both killed before you reached the factory.</p><p>As you got closer to the factory, the cars chasing you slowed down a bit, but still kept following you closely. It was almost as if they wanted to give you a bit of space, because they knew there was no exit on the other side, and that there was no way you would run away from them at this point. As you arrived at the factory Seonghwa stopped the car and you quickly got off, running to the back of the building. There was no exit, and Hongjoong and the others hadn't arrived yet, so it meant you had to fight against all those officers on your own for the time being, hoping to not get killed right away.</p><p>《Do you have a knife, or a gun, or some kind of weapon with you?》 Seonghwa asked</p><p>《No, but I can still fight》</p><p>He shook his head.</p><p>《Just stay behind me》 he said</p><p>《No, I'm not going to stand still and watch you get yourself killed》 you replied, angry 《We fight together》</p><p>It wasn't the right time to argue, so he just let out a frustrated sigh and nodded. The men were running to where you were, and you realized that even if they got off police cars, they weren't police officers. They looked more like thugs, which was the confirmation of the fact that they were, indeed, Choi Dohyun's men.</p><p>They all jumped on you and you started to fight. You used to exercise a lot and you took many marital arts lessons, but you had to admit that you were a bit out of practice. Seonghwa soon turned into his panther form, which helped him attack with more strength and efficiency, while you were mostly trying to get the men off you, punching and pushing them off.</p><p>Thankfully, soon you noticed the boys run towards you. Some of them were in their animal forms, others were still in their human form. Between the latter, you noticed San, and you were surprised to see him there, but you forced yourself to pay attention to what was going on around you, because it was definitely not the time to think about San's morals. Since you two weren't alone anymore, the men took out the knives. The boys were stronger them them, especially Jongho and Yunho who towered over everyone in their bear form, but the men outnumbered them. It looked like you were knocking out a lot of them, which made you hope you would be able to get out of there alive. You punched a man in the face, then kicked him in the crotch making him fall on his knees in pain. You quickly looked around to check if all of the boys were okay.</p><p>San was fighting with a man who was trying to hurt him with a knife. In the mess of people, you saw a man taking out a weird gun, pointing it at San. Just as San managed to knock out the man he was fighting, you pushed him hard enough to make him take a few steps back and end up behind you. Two probes connected to wires attached themselves to your body and suddenly you felt a huge wave of electricity all over you. You started shaking, as the electricity from the probes increased. You felt like your heart was about to explode.</p><p>You fell to the floor, and you noticed the shape of a black panther jumping on the man holding the taser gun. The electricity stopped coming, but your whole body was still shaking and you couldn't understand what was going on around you. Your heartbeat was so loud that you could feel it like a hummer in your head.</p><p>San tore the probes away from you, and Seonghwa ran to you, falling on his knees in front of you. He tried calling you but you couldn't talk. He put his fingers on your throat and his eyes widened as he noticed the speed of your heartbeat.</p><p>《I'll get you out of here》 he said, panicking 《I'll fix this, I promise. Please just hold on》</p><p>He looked around and shouted Jongho's name. The younger turned around and ran to you as soon as he noticed you laying on the ground with Seonghwa next to you.</p><p>《Take her away from here as fast as you can》 Seonghwa ordered him 《Take her somewhere safe and bring Hongjoong with you》</p><p>Jongho nodded and took you bridal style, running away from the scene. As soon as you were out of sight, Seonghwa turned back into his panther from and starterd attacking everyone around him, ten times angrier than before. He fought with the imagine of your shaking body in mind, upset that he wasn't able to protect you like he promised he would. You and two of the boys weren't there, but the remaining ones were so angry and determinate now, that they attacked with such force that none of the men that were left managed to survive. They were injured and some of them got in contact with the knives that were pointed to them, but in the end they were all alive and standing on a pile of dead men.</p><p>They all quickly turned back into their human forms and ran to the cars, rushing to the house. Seonghwa more than anyone was anxious to arrive and see in what state you were in. He needed to be by your side. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. eight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>From the moment Seonghwa stepped into the house, everything became a mess. He entered the infirmary room, and ran to your side, taking your hand in his. You were unconscious, and there were wires that attached you to some machines that Seonghwa couldn't understand. Hongjoong was still trying to run the tests to check your condition.</p><p>《How is she?》 Seonghwa asked</p><p>《I don't know yet, I'm still trying to figure it out》 Hongjoong replied 《I need you to step out, you'll only get in the way》</p><p>《I'm not leaving her》 he said, serious</p><p>《I know you want to be with her, but I can't work properly with you in the way》 he replied</p><p>《I can't leave her》 he said, tearing up</p><p>《You're injured too, you should go get treated in the other room. I'll run the last tests while you do that》 he proposed, trying to make him reason 《She will get mad at you if she finds you still injured when she wakes up》</p><p>Seonghwa knew he was using you as an excuse to make him leave, but he also knew that he was right, so even if he didn't want to leave you, he let go of your hand.</p><p>《Save her》 he said to Hongjoong</p><p>《I will》 he replied</p><p>Seonghwa spared you one last glance and then left the room. While Hongjoong tried to understand how to save you, Jongho helped all the boys to treat their injuries, then they took showers to take off the blood of those men from themselves.</p><p>Seonghwa gave Hongjoong almost an hour alone with you, before he came back even more determined than before. He didn't even ask Hongjoong if he was done. He took a chair and put it next to your bed, and he sat down, taking your cold hand between his. He looked at your sleeping form. You didn't look peaceful because there was a slight frown on your face, which made Seonghwa anxious. He worried that you were still suffering from the shock.</p><p>《Did you find out what they used?》 Seonghwa asked</p><p>《It was some kind of taser》 Hongjoong replied, his tone of voice weak 《But it was modified to be able to work on the biggest of hybrids》</p><p>Seonghwa closed his eyes, holding back the tears. He couldn't help but think of how strong the shock might have been, and how much you had suffered.</p><p>《Will she recover?》 he asked</p><p>《I don't know, I have never seen something like this》 Hongjoong replied 《It all depends on how strong she is and on when she wakes up》</p><p>《If she dies because of us, I-》</p><p>《Stop》 Hongjoong cut him off, harshly 《Don't you dare say it》</p><p>《It's our fault, <em>my</em> fault》 Seonghwa said, looking at his friends with teary eyes 《All I ever did was put her in danger.》</p><p>《She knew what she was getting herself into》 his friend explained 《She knew the risks and she still did all of this, because she loves us. Because she loves <em>you</em>. Don't blame yourself for this. She would tell you the same thing, and you know it》</p><p>Seonghwa glanced at you, peacefully sleeping on the bed.</p><p>《She will wake up》 Hongjoong assured him 《She would never let herself go like this》</p><p>Seonghwa nodded, trying his best to believe it. He couldn't bare losing you again.</p><p>You slept for days, and Hongjoong made sure to check on you night and day, without rest. He was glad to see that your condition was getting better with time, but it still worried him that it was taking you so long to wake up. Seonghwa never left your side, barely even eating because of how focused he was on you. The boys occasionally came by to visit, but none of them could bare to see you unconscious on the bed.</p><p>Seonghwa was still sitting on his chair next to the bed, while Yunho was sitting on a chair on the other side, playing with your fingers.</p><p>《I was the first of the three of us that she saved》 Yunho said, breaking the silence 《She saved me around three years ago, and for a while it was just the two of us》</p><p>Seonghwa looked at the bear hybrid, but Yunho was still looking at you.</p><p>《She was so tiny and innocent... I always felt protective over her, like she was my younger sister》</p><p>Seonghwa couldn't help but smile, thinking of how you always had the ability to make people like you without even trying.</p><p>《She saved my life and I couldn't even protect her from this》 Yunho said with a shaky voice. Seonghwa felt exactly the same.</p><p>Suddenly, your fingers started moving and Seonghwa almost flinched from the shock. You slowly moved your hand, and Seonghwa and Yunho looked at each other, frozen.</p><p>《I'll get Hongjoong》 Yunho said, running out of the room in a second</p><p>Seonghwa took your hand in his and caressed your arm.</p><p>《Y/N, I'm here》 he said, softly 《Take your time》</p><p>Your breathing became a bit heavier and you slowly started to open your eyes. The first time you opened them, you closed them right away because your eye lids felt too heavy. When you tried again, the first thing you saw were Seonghwa's black eyes, and suddenly a heavy weight was lifted from your chest.</p><p>《I'm here》 he said smiling and with teary eyes</p><p>Hongjoong ran into the room and was by your side in a second.</p><p>《I need to check on her》 he told Seonghwa 《Please wait outside, I'll call you when we're done》</p><p>Seonghwa was about to protest, when you squeezed his hand. You still couldn't find the strength to talk, but the look in your eyes was enough to send the message.</p><p>《I'll see you soon》 he said</p><p>He left a kiss on your forehead and left you alone with Hongjoong. He checked your condition and asked you questions about how you felt, but you felt like your whole body was too heavy and you found it difficult to talk, so he only asked question that you could answer by nodding or shaking your head. After he was done, he exited the room, knowing the other boys were all waiting on the other side.</p><p>《How is she?》 they asked together</p><p>《He condition is getting better, it looks like there are no problems》 Hongjoong replied 《She's finding it hard to speak, so don't pressure her》</p><p>After he made sure everyone understood, he opened the door and everyone ran inside, rushing to your side. It felt a bit overwhelming at first, but soon you felt relieved that they were all alright. The only one that wasn't there was San, but you weren't surprised.</p><p>《We're so glad you're okay》 Wooyoung said 《San is alright too, thanks to you》</p><p>You smiled back, to thank him for telling you.</p><p>《I'm not letting you out of the house again, I swear》 Seonghwa said 《If anything else happens to you I will literally die》</p><p>You couldn't help but chuckle when you heard Yeosang whisper "so overdramatic".</p><p>The boys kept you company, and by the end of the day you managed to start talking again. Even if you were okay enough to move to your room, Hongjoong asked you to stay one more night there, just so he could keep checking on you. Better safe than sorry, he kept saying. Seonghwa spent the night by your side, on the infirmary bed with you. Feeling his warmth again after what happened was probably the best medication you could ask for.</p><p>The next morning, when you woke up, Seonghwa asked Hongjoong to come check on you one more time, then they both left to prepare breakfast. While you waited for Seonghwa to come back, the door of the room opened and San peeked in.</p><p>《Can we talk?》 San asked</p><p>You were taken back, and a bit worried, but you still nodded. He walked in, closing the door behind him.</p><p>《I want to apologize...》 he said, nervously 《... about the way I treated you until now. I had a rough past and it's difficult for me to approach humans. Everyone tried to get me to know you, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. You reminded me too much of my past, and I couldn't find it in myself to trust you》</p><p>《I know》 you replied 《I never blamed you for your behavior. I already knew why you couldn't trust me》</p><p>《Seonghwa was right, though. You are different. You're a good person》 he confessed 《Thank you for risking your life for us. Thank you for protecting me》</p><p>《I did it on an instinct》 you replied, looking away embarrassed</p><p>《It will still take me a while to open up to you, but I'm willing to give you a chance》 he said</p><p>《You are?》 you asked, surprised</p><p>《Maybe it's time I get over my trauma》</p><p>He smiled shyly and you smiled back. The door suddenly opened and Seonghwa froze, noticing you two together.</p><p>《Is everything alright?》 he asked, already glaring at San</p><p>《We're good》 you replied 《We were clearing the misunderstandings》</p><p>《I will give her a chance》 San shyly said to Seonghwa, who couldn't hold back his smile</p><p>《Really?》</p><p>《Yes》</p><p>Seonghwa quickly wrapped him in a hug.</p><p>《Thank you》 he whispered to him</p><p>San hugged him back as a reply. You couldn't hold back your smile at the scene in front of you. When they broke the hug, Seonghwa came to help you get up and all three of you walked to the dining room together, where the rest of the boys were putting the last plates on the table. At first they were surprised to see San next to you, but then they realized that it was a good sign and they smiled, relieved.</p><p>You didn't know what was going to happen in the future, and most importantly you didn't know if Choi Dohyun would ever give up on your or not, but right in that moment it didn't matter. You were alive, and you were with the people you cared about, and it was more than enough for you to know that you would fight anything and anyone to be able to keep it like that.</p><p>
  <b>END</b>
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  <b>I decided to end the story like this, because otherwise I wouldn't know how to continue it. I'm thinking of writing one extra chapter set in the future. Tell me if you'd like it.</b>
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